Former local actor Mikhail Abdul Razak, who is better known as Nick Mikhail, has been fined $13,000 after pleading guilty to advertising illegal e-cigarette products and selling them.
According to The Straits Times, this illegal activity was discovered by an officer from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) during online surveillance in December 2019.
Mikhail had offered e-cigarettes for sale on his Instagram account, and an undercover HSA officer later purchased multiple imitation tobacco products from him.
According to the HSA prosecutor Caleb Looi, Mikhail had published an advertisement related to imitation tobacco products on his Instagram account in October 2019, which allowed Instagram users to purchase the products or their components.
During 2019, Mikhail sold or offered to sell vapes to various Instagram users. On December 20, 2019, he sold two vapes to an Instagram user for $66 and $80, respectively.
After the HSA officer identified himself, Mikhail’s car and home were searched, and e-cigarettes and related paraphernalia were found and seized.
Mikhail admitted to having made some successful transactions, earning about $2,500 to $3,000.
During his court appearance, Mikhail Abdul Razak, a retired local actor and former television personality on Suria, expressed regret for his actions and attributed his illegal behavior to a difficult period in his life. He informed the court that he is a changed person now and is striving to move forward positively. Mikhail was ordered to pay a fine of $13,000 for his illegal activities, and he paid $6,500 upfront, with the remaining amount to be paid in installments.
The HSA has been actively cracking down on the sale and distribution of illegal e-cigarette products, and it warns that these products can be hazardous to health due to unknown chemicals and substances.
The maximum penalty for illegally advertising tobacco products or selling them is six months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
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